Comments on: Michael Pollan’s Response to Whole Foods Market

By: Michael Tierra

Michael Tierra — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:16:32 +0000

I thoroughly appreciate Michael Pollan’s book Omnivore’s Dilemma. I also appreciate Whole Foods.

I think he is being a little extreme lumping Whole Foods together with other conventional markets. Whole Foods has done a lot to promote the appreciation and sales of high quality organic foods.

While they are a teaching store and represent a movement I think a large part of their success is the extent to which they have avoided foisting their beliefs and philosophies about food on the general public. So they try to satisfy many.

My reservations about Whole Foods is that whenever they establish themselves in an area the tendency is for smaller stores to go under and those are precisely the ones that are more likely to support bioregionalism.

By: Erica Kirchner-Dean

Erica Kirchner-Dean — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:30:00 +0000

I am an almost daily shopper of Whole Foods as I am lucky to have one nearby. I love the atmosphere (Cary, NC) the employees are helpful and friendly and I perceive it to be a great place to work as well as shop. I just finished reading Jane Goodall’s book, “Harvest for Hope, A Guide to Mindful Eating”–a must read. The above discussion is wonderful and I have faith in John Mackey–so much so that I am an investor now in Whole Foods. I prefer to invest in something I believe in and I do hope that we are on the right path to being more mindful stewards of the planet and our health! Discussions like this are key, crucial, and important!!!

By: Deborah Barnett

Deborah Barnett — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 17:26:07 +0000

We sure need more organics and stores like whole foods here in kingsport tennessee. Walmart has a few organics now in the stores but not nearly enough. Alot of their meat is full of nitrates phosphates and injected with toxic solutions. Food city has a few organics as well. I say hats off to any one to get healthy food and medicine to us all.

By: shoshana Frumkin

shoshana Frumkin — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 22:02:49 +0000

Hi I’m shoshana Frumkin CNC CMT, President of On the Spot Massage LLC with a full time chair massage installation at WFM Berkeley California. Before I started farming massage practitioners I worked in natural foods. I have worked in the natural foods industry since 1975, while John Mackey was in Texas with Safer way I was part of a worker owned and run collective in Santa Cruz Californa called Community Foods. A group of us along with a handful of other natural food store owners in California spent several years working to get CCOF ( california certified organic farm ) standards established so consumers and farmer could be assured we were growing and purchasing from the same set of commitments. It was at a time when “our” way of eating was not mainstream. I was also a small scale organic farmer we now call “artisan” we sold eggs, produce and rabbit meat to locals and to the store I eventually worked at. WE were very proud to be organic farmers we felt we were restoring a sense of integrity and worth to an industry that had been looked down on for too long. I am an entrepreniur and business minded person who understands that keeping the balance between mass access and local appeal based on sustainable principles is an art and a science. It is important that consumers and suppliers speak out to help keep the ship, or fleet moving on the right course. I love the new position you have created at WFM for the North Atlantic region “forager” a staff person who’s job it is to find, and help cultivate a partnership source relationship with small farmers and food artisans and you are willing to back it up with some capital if neccesary to assist the farmers gap to store followthrough. I think every region would be served to have this as a position insuring that our concerns as eaters with an ecological commitment are served and that we are doing our job as stewards for a sustainable financialy ecological outcome. We have by no meens exhausted the creative compost pile of practicle solutions we can invent for the high quality problems we are experiencing in the food chain at WFM. That said… go get a massage!

By: Lauren

Lauren — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 02:17:31 +0000

Over thirty years ago, when I was in college healthy eating was considered wierd and environmental issues concerning the growing of food was limited to pesticide use. Now we realize healthy eating has more to do with healthy living and environmental farming has more to do with growth hormones, antibiotic residues, and the well being of the animals we will ultimately consume than pesticide residue concerns. Change comes slowly and the economic realities of obtaining inexpensive food have done little to promote a paradigm change in the food industries. Whole Foods considers itself a leader in this brave new world and it most certainly appears to be a leader; nevertheless, there is still and always will be room for improvement. I would be interested in knowing exacly what the goals of Whole Foods are as this new food model progresses. They are in a unique position to shape the future by changing the way people think about what they put into their bodies and the way that very product got there in the first place. Keeping one step ahead of competitors is not the best exercise in leadership although it is most certainly necessary for self-preservation. Educating the public about how it gets it’s food, what is in that food, and why they should care is just the first step. Elevating the acquisition of food and those involved in its production will go a long way towards the common good. Whole foods has the economic capital to change the world when it comes to food. There has got to be a way to efficiently feed people without compromising the health of the individual and the health of the environment. Decentralization of our food supply is in everyone’s best interest. Management can provide solutions based on supply chain economics. The time and expense exploring this problem would be a wise endeavor for Whole Foods to pursue and would help define itself as a true organic and healthy foods industry leader. John Mackey has a date with destiny…I hope he shows up.

By: lily

lily — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 22:32:39 +0000

Hello, I am Lily with Lily Organics inc. in Colorado, we are organic growers and handcrafters of fresh synthetic chemical free skin care. I posted a note on August 3rd asking for John Mackey’s support, and I received it! Thank you so much for supporting local small growers. It is this kind of support that is going to make the organic movement happen, one small farm at a time.
As a 7th generation American grower, my great, great, Grandfather was also a Captain in the American Revolution, I want to preserve Colorado farmlands for future generations as my Great Grandfather tried to do for me.
I also want to let you know of the high caliber team members you have in Colorado, to mention just a couple, Deb Robertson and her entire department, at the Colorado Springs store, Erin at Cherry Creek, Christine at Highlands Ranch, and Christina at Belmar, Jim in Boulder, Autumn in Ft. Collins and Anissa in Tamarac. Oh, and not to mention Susan Oelkler and Missy in Austin!!
Thank you for supporting small local growers and what a great job attracting and maintaining such a great crew!! Lily

By: Stewart

Stewart — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 14:30:14 +0000

As a former long-time WFM employee, I have thorougly enjoyed this exchange. The only thing missing from both sides of the discussion are the high margin’s WFM must charge–30-50 percent–to make their profit. These are margins that compensate for the economic inefficiencies of a decentralized business model and support WFM, not the the vendor. In other words, the high prices at Whole Foods are largely due to ineffiicient distribution, not to the high cost of producing such foods. That is why, unfortunately, the Wal-Mart/Industrial Organic model will win in the end: Most people simply cannot afford to feed their families on the high margins of an inefficient business model. I know I can’t.

By: Brian D.

Brian D. — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 04:00:17 +0000

I shop at whole foods for certain things. I try to buy as much food as possible from local family farms, but one point is still very true. When I drive 50 miles to and 50 miles from th farm for a gallon of milk, two dozen eggs and some frozen meat, I am essentially wasting 4 gallons of gas for one bag of food. I also get veggies from another farm far away, but it has a drop off site near my house. Local produce does not necesarily cut down fuel consumption; when whole foods ships in a semi of flour from wyoming, it may take 200 gallons of fuel, but there are thousands of items, so it is really very low. Capitalism in its truest form is extremely efficient, and as long as its in a good way, like organic produce, I think its a good thing!

By: Joel

Joel — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 03:07:09 +0000

Extremely insightful:)

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 17:20:47 +0000

Open minded, non-judgemental discussion is what this planet needs to overcome the multitude of issues it deals with each and every day. What I see from this discussion is the start of an alliance that chooses to use compassion and respect in their efforts to understand and resolve a very complex situation. Mr. Pollan will realize that in Mr Mackey’s ongoing reformation of how we as consumers understand the complex nature of our current agricultural situation, there has to be a starting point. This is a very uphill battle that we as consumers as well as markets like WFM need to continue and be very vocal and involved.

One thing that I have noticed recently is that there is a growing amount of conventional produce becoming available at WFM. It has not stopped me from shopping there but it is noticeable.When you consider the stranglehold the chemical companies have over our nations farmers and consumers, you can begin to understand what Mr Mackey is going through. Not only do we need to reamin open and receptive to ALL viewpoints along this subject line, we need to participate in it’s evolution if we are to win the battle of growing the sustainable network across our nation. To purchase organic products is only part of our involvement. We also need to be involved in the political aspect of stopping our government from letting these large chemical companies lobby their way into destroying organic, sustainable agriculture.

Mr Mackey, my hope is that you continue to build your company on ethical purchasing and distribution as well as monitoring what our government is doing to support our growing wants and needs as organic consumers. It would be of great benefit if while you monitor our governments activities you made available, like in most Mom and Pop organic health food stores, petitions to allow your comsumers to respond to their government officials on bills related to organic labeling, sustainable agriculture and other realted topics.

Keep up the good work. You have a very powerful voice in what happens in these matters.